Location Scouting with Rain and Eliot at Green Mountain

Green Mountain on the Kitsap Peninsula is one of the classic cases of not having to travel far to get a great experience in nature. From the summit (on clear days) there is a view of Seattle and Puget Sound, and on the way up there are many peak-a-boo views of the surrounding mountains and bodies of water.

Rain and Eliot have been friends of ours for years, so when I asked if they would be willing to model for me on a location scouting shoot they were all in. We didn’t have much time to drive long distances, so Eliot suggested Green Mountain which is convenient to many major cities.

The day before it had snowed in town, but with the geography and weather patterns of Washington we didn’t know what to expect. When we arrived at the trail head we were surprised to see about six inches of terrible Washington slush. Thankfully, the tree cover on the trail had kept the walkway mostly clear of snow and relatively easy to get through.

As we hiked up the mountain the temperature progressively got warmer, then colder, then warmer, then colder again — a testament to why layering is important in Washington.

When we eventually reached the summit our reward was not the panoramic views of Seattle that I had been promise, but instead thick, pea soup fog. We made the best of the situation and got some truly beautiful pictures of Rain and Eliot’s love for each other.

Even though the day didn’t turn out the way that we had planned, it was wonderful to spend some time out in nature with good friends and to explore new places to share with the world.